Weekend Projects: 5 Beautifully Basic DIY Bookends

Display your favorite books—and your individuality—with a pair of custom-made bookends. Here are five designs you can make in a weekend.

If you have a few especially beloved books in your collection, why not use a pair of DIY bookends to set them apart as a reminder to yourself and a message to your guests? Though making DIY bookends entails some time and effort, the immensely rewarding results can last for years. Scroll down now to see five of our favorite bookends made by creative and stylish do-it-yourselfers. Then either mimic their ideas or let their designs inspire your own signature set.

1. DO A DIORAMA

Photo: seaofshoes.com

You can stock up on hiking guides and trail maps, or you can invite nature onto your shelf another way: with wilderness-themed DIY bookends. In your local craft store, there’s a section devoted to the supplies needed to put together this diorama. Sand and stain a couple of wood blocks, then glue on the tiny scene of your choice.

2. TOY WITH TOYS

Photo: theweekendhomemaker.com

Here’s a way to make some “ferociously” fun DIY bookends for a kid’s room. For each bookend, glue and nail two pieces of wood at right angles, forming an L-shaped base. Prime and spray-paint the two wood bases as well as your chosen figurines. Finally, hot-glue the toys to the painted wood. Voilà: one-of-a-kind decor!

3. REPURPOSE A JAR

Photo: sfgoodwill.org

Do the wonders of spray paint ever cease? Choose a can of paint that features a bold, eye-catching color you love, and use it to transform a couple of canning jars into DIY bookends. (If you don’t have glass jars in the pantry, they can be purchased for a song). Once the paint has dried, fill the jars with pebbles or sand for added weight.

4. GO FOR A RECORD

Photo: flickr.com/gasoline_rainbows

For years you’ve held on to a crate full of vinyl records. Choose two, remove them from their sleeves, and then—are you ready for this?—you can actually shape them into retro chic DIY bookends! Run the records under hot water until they’re pliable, then bend them into right angles. Just be careful not to ruin the labels!

5. EMBELLISH TWO BRICKS

Photo: abubblylife.com

For DIY bookends like these, you need only a couple of bricks, painter’s tape, and your choice of spray-paint colors. Use the tape to mark off a pleasing geometric design, then spray on a combination of contrasting or complementary colors. There may be no easier—or cheaper—way to control the chaos on your shelves.